The development of Treforest into the modern
village of today is due almost entirely to the industrial
ambitions and capital of the Crawshay family of Merthyr
Tydfil. Their association with Treforest began in 1794
when William Crawshay purchased a plot of land at Ynyspenllwch
on which stood a small mill for the rolling of tinplate.
This enterprise with the aid of the Glamorganshire Canal,
which opened in 1794 to transport its products, became
an immediate success.
The following years saw the expansion and
modernisation of the tin works until by 1836 they had become
the largest in Britain. During this period the Crawshays
had also acquired a small iron works by purchasing adjoining
land to their existing land at Treforest. They had expanded
to form the Taff Vale ironworks, which in conjunction with
the tin works formed the Fforest Works. By 1835 these works
were under the direct control of Francis Crawshay who had
moved to the Treforest from Hirwaun
(where the family owned an ironworks) and now lived
at Forest House that was later to become the site for the
University of Glamorgan.
It was the success of these two industries and the early
link to the Rhondda coal trade provided by Dr. Griffith's
tram road between Dinas and Treforest that led to the rapid
growth of the village. Large numbers of workers were attracted
to the district and the subsequent rise in population led
to an increase in both building activity and trade. Houses
were quickly built to accommodate the workers, some of the
earliest streets being Long Row, Forest Row, River Row and
Market Street, and shops opened to provide them with the
goods they required. Public houses were opened with five
being listed in the 1884 Kelly's Trade Directory, including
the Ballar's Arms, the Greyhound Inn and the Danygraig Arms.
Left: This engraving circa 1900 clearly
shows Treforest as it was at that period viewed fron Glyntaff
The religious needs of the inhabitants were also catered
for with the establishment of many non-conformist chapels,
some of the earliest being the Libanus Welsh Baptist Chapel
(1841) and the Saron Methodist Chapel (1843). Treforest was
the first village in the district to have an established
post office and any mail from Pontypridd passed to the Treforest
Post Office before despatch. It also had one of the earliest
markets, with regular markets being held at the Market Square
(later known as Castle Square) from at least 1803. Treforest
railway station was not opened however until 1847.
Today Treforest is often considered to be simply an offshoot of Pontypridd, mostly
noted for its university. However during the early part of the 19th century Treforest
was unquestionably a livelier place than Pontypridd (or Newbridge as it was then
known) with more facilities and a greater potential as a town.
Right: One of the earliest streets in Treforest was Long Row
Terrace shown in this picture circa 1977
University of Glamorgan (Forest House)
William Crawshay II (1788 -1867) began a modernisation
process at the Treforest Tinplate Works in the early 1830s.
He lost interest however when he inherited the Cyfarthfa
empire in 1834 following the death of his father William
Crawshay I. Responsibility for the completion of the modernisation
process was therefore placed in the hands of William II son,
Francis Crawshay (1811 -1878). By 1836 the works were back
in full production and Francis moved into the property known
as Forest House. The house had been built for his grandfather
and stood on the site of a farm, Fforest Isaf (Lower Forest).
Left: Francis Crawshay
Forest House, now owned by the University
of Glamorgan and known as A Block, is a listed building.
Externally, it remains as it was in Francis Crawshay's
day. However the grounds of Forest House have seen great
changes over the years. In the late 1880s Barry Railway
Company built a line that ran across the land behind the
house before entering the Treforest tunnel, which took
it on to Pontypridd. The orchards on the hillside below
the line disappeared at the beginning of the 20th century
as streets including Forest Grove, Bertha Street and Hilda
Street were built.
Right: Forest House
During his time Francis Crawshay had erected many isolated
standing stones in Forest House's grounds. After his death
these were gathered by his brother Henry Crawshay (1812 -1879)
and arranged to form a circle of tall stones. These stones
were removed in the mid 1950s to make room for the expansion
of Glamorgan Technical College.
After the Crawshay family left Forest House it was owned by a local solicitor
named Walter Morgan 1853-1901. He founded the Pontypridd firm of Morgan, Bruce
and Nicholas solicitors, which worked closely with the South Wales Miners' Federation.
It was from his widow that the house was purchased for the purposes of the South
Wales and Monmouthshire School of Mines in 1913. It was at this time that John
Calvert's 1845 winding and pumping beam engine was removed here from the Gellwion
Colliery.
Left: Francis Crawshays' standing stones
The constitution of the school was established under a
deed of trust with the earl of Plymouth, Lord Merthyr and
David Davies as the trustees and George Knox (1869 -1950)
was appointed as the principal. It was financed by a levy
on the output of the subscribing collieries. This private
sponsorship continued until 1928 when the school of mines
was placed under the control of Glamorgan Education Authority.
From 1940 the college was known as School of Mines and Technology. Despite the
change in name the premises remained very much the same as they were in 1913.
They college consisted of four departments and had approximately 150 full-time
students and about 800 part-timers. It was the immediate post-war period that
saw an expansion and diversification of courses. A number of prefabricated workshops
and laboratories were set up and four aluminium classrooms erected behind Forest
House. In 1956 the building of a double-storey block near Forest House was completed.
The school's success in catering for the growing demand on higher education
was reflected in its changing status, progressing quickly from Technical College
(1949), to College of Technology (1958) and on to Polytechnic (1970).
Above: The pumping beam engine from Gellwion Colliery
In 1967, the first hall of residence was opened
on the campus with accommodation for a hundred students.
At this time there were 632 full-time and approximately 1,500
part-time students. The college's campus continued to expand
with the building of a multi-storey building for the department
of civil engineering and building followed later by the students'
union, the library and the department of business.
The Further and Higher Education Act 1992 allowed Glamorgan Polytechnic to assume
university title and corporate status. There was some discussion as to a suitable
title for the institution in its new form. Among titles suggested was Crawshay
University but some were of the opinion that the name of the ironmaster who had
spent so many years at Forest House wasn't suitable and the title University
of Glamorgan was adopted. Sir David Hunt, Secretary of State for Wales on 1 September
1992, performed the official opening ceremony. As we approach the centenary of
Forest House as an educational institution the University of Glamorgan today
has almost 19,000 students.
